Owen-Gage discusses changes to athletics

TRACI L. WEISENBACH, Tribune Community Editor

Published 2:44 pm, Friday, April 22, 2016

OWENDALE — Sports-related subjects took center stage for a good portion of the Owendale-Gagetown Area School District Board of Education meeting this week, including talk about an intramural program and a letter from a board member in support of a coach.

Superintendent/Principal Dana Compton said he and the board discussed an intramural “Junior Bulldog” program for students in grades 5-8. This program would be for basketball and volleyball, and participating students would play in weekend tournaments, he said. The junior high football program would not be intramural.

Having a junior high intramural program would help cut transportation costs, Compton noted.

The board did not take any action on the intramural program.

For golf, Compton said the school is looking to partner with another area school for a cooperative program because participation in this sport at Owen-Gage is decreasing. While Compton didn’t mention a specific school for the golf cooperative, Owen-Gage already has a cooperative agreement with Caseville Public School for football, soccer and track. Caseville does have a golf program.

Comptonsaid because of decreasing participation, there will be no cheerleading program for the 2008-09 school year.

In other sports business, the board approved a list of 2008-09 coach recommendations made

Each year, school boards must hire coaches for each sport, and the district’s athletic director makes recommendations on who to hire. Sometimes, coaches remain the same; in other instances, coaches are changed from one year to the next.

As for the 2008-09 Owen-Gage varsity girls basketball coach position, Compton said another person was recommended other than Dave Fritz, who has been the coach for this team for a decade.

Compton chose not to name the other person recommended for the coach position out of respect for that person. He also opted not to say on the record why the other person was recommended and not Fritz.

Comptonsaid after this recommendation was made, board Trustee Ron Maurer read a letter he wrote to an audience of about 20 to 30 people that supported Dave Fritz.

When contacted by the Huron Daily Tribune, Maurer said his letter explained his feelings on why Fritz should be retained as the girls varsity basketball coach. Maurer did not want to mention the name of the other coach recommended for the varsity girls basketball team out of respect for that person. He chose not to comment further on the letter itself.

Maurer said after he read his letter, people in the audience stood up and applauded, and some had tears in their eyes.

Comptonsaid after Maurer read his letter, he made a motion to keep Fritz as the coach, and the motion was seconded by board Secretary Loretta Schmidt. The motion passed.

Comptongave the board an update on the issue Owen-Gage and some other schools in the North Central Thumb League have been having with Memphis Community Schools regarding sports programs. He said superintendents from schools in the league, including Memphis, will meet this fall to discuss the issues. One issue schools in the league have had is Memphis withdrawing its junior high sports from the NCTL without notifying any other schools in the league. Owen-Gage’s position, along with some other schools in the league, is that Memphis should leave the league.

In other business, the board appointed its 2008-09 board officers. Kathy Champagne is board president; Terry Muntz is vice president; Loretta Schmidt is secretary; and Deb Quick is treasurer.

The board accepted the resignations of math teacher Ricky Behm and Ann Garske, preschool director/lead teacher. Both have obtained positions elsewhere. Compton said the two positions will be posted. The board also accepted the resignation of bus driver Chuck Wright, who has retired.

The board adopted the 2008-09 support staff wage schedule, and Compton said the rates are the same as those in 2007-08.

Kristi Pitts of the Huron County Health Department talked to the board about the school becoming a 24/7 Tobacco Free School. If a 24/7 policy is adopted for the school building and grounds, people wouldn’t be allowed to smoke in the building or on the school grounds at any time, including after school hours. Pitts said so far, so school district has adopted such a policy. Compton said the Owen-Gage board asked him to prepare some handbook language on a 24/7 tobacco-free policy, and the board will take it under consideration at a future meeting.

Comptontalked to the board about upcoming strategic planning meetings that board members will participate in. The board will discuss one, three, and five-year goals for the district. Bob Colby, Huron Intermediate School District Superintendent, will facilitate these meetings.